18 Definitions
It seems like they've returned to their original lives.
Fang Shuning returned to her glamorous life as a top lawyer. Song Jiuchen made final preparations before the fruit trees ripened.
Liu Yi's public welfare classes are nearing their end, and he's currently busy with preparations for the start of the new school term. Cui Sitong is still traveling extensively, and his studio has signed new talent. Everyone is working hard to move forward.
But when she couldn't sleep at night, Fang Shuning would always think of Song Jiuchen, the Song Jiuchen who blushed so easily. Memories are the heaviest baggage...
The thing that's been giving Fang Shuning the biggest headache lately is that Old Fu has put his son under her care, ostensibly to let him learn from her and get some experience. But she can't discipline him, and she can't scold him either—it's incredibly difficult for her.
Fang Shuning felt like the chief eunuch of the emperor's inner palace had been assigned to take care of the crown prince. The crown prince was going to be the emperor; what did Fang Shuning have to offer him? This kind of second-generation lawyer was no match for her.
Although he said he couldn't, he still had to smile and agree when Old Master Fu asked him to. He also promised to do his best and not let Master Fu down.
Unfortunately, the moment Fang Shuning saw Fu Yuanzheng, who had returned from studying in the United States, she thought it would be better to have him take her in as his goddaughter, so that she could take care of him in his old age and see him off when he died.
Fu Yuanzheng, without any hesitation, immediately called her "sister" and asked Fang Shuning if she remembered him. Fang Shuning rolled her eyes inwardly, but smiled and said, "Of course I remember! Who could forget such a handsome young man?"
Fang Shuning is a person who speaks to people in a human way, to ghosts in a ghost way, and to lunatics in a nonsensical and rambling way.
From that day on, Fu Yuanzheng became Fang Shuning's shadow, even accompanying her to the hospital for checkups. Whenever Fang Shuning tried to say something, Fu Yuanzheng would bring up his father. This left Fang Shuning completely speechless.
When she went for the follow-up examination, Fang Shuning made a special appointment with Dr. Xu.
Fang Shuning told Cui Sitong about how she often thought about Song Jiuchen during this period. Cui Sitong analyzed that it was because she hadn't seen enough men; she just needed to see more. Fang Shuning thought the internet celebrity sister's words made sense, so she decided to meet Dr. Xu first. Although Dr. Xu had a bad temper, what was the harm in meeting him?
Before seeing patients at the outpatient clinic, Dr. Xu habitually checked the day's registration information, and then she immediately saw Fang Shuning's name. She even felt a sliver of anticipation.
But why is Fang Shuning accompanied by this arrogant, eccentric lunatic?
Out of professional ethics, Dr. Xu asked the routine questions first, then ordered tests, and told Fang Shuning to come back after getting the results. He also thoughtfully added, "If you don't have time to come, you can ask him directly on WeChat."
When Fang Shuning saw Dr. Xu again, she felt no emotion whatsoever. She thanked him and was about to leave. However, Dr. Xu couldn't help but call out to Fang Shuning again.
Fang Shuning turned around and looked at Dr. Xu, her face full of questions.
Dr. Xu spoke in an overly tactful manner, glancing at Fu Yuanzheng. Fang Shuning followed Dr. Xu's gaze and wondered what he meant.
"Didn't you suggest I see an ENT specialist last time? I did, and there was nothing wrong. So, I suggest you see an ophthalmologist; our hospital's ophthalmology department is quite good. I can recommend a doctor for you." After saying that, he called for the next patient.
Fang Shuning and Fu Yuanzheng went out to get their check-up. Suddenly, Fang Shuning realized what Dr. Xu meant and couldn't help but laugh out loud.
This person is really interesting.
That day, Cui Sitong messaged Fang Shuning, asking if she had time to go back to Xitang to pick fruit. It was her first time doing a live stream, and she needed to go back with Song Jiuchen. He also wanted to discuss something else with Fang Shuning.
Fang Shuning didn't agree directly, only saying she'd look at the work arrangements. However, when Cui Sitong mentioned he needed to discuss something with Fang Shuning, his tone was overly serious. It was unclear what she wanted to discuss.
Coincidentally, Song Jiuchen asked Fang Shuning for her address on WeChat, saying he wanted to send her some apples. This was the first time they had contacted each other since Fang Shuning returned home, aside from the matter with Uncle Zhang.
Fang Shuning couldn't help but reply, "I'm so sorry, I'll just place my order in your live stream instead, as a way of supporting Secretary Song's work~"
Then, staring at Song Jiuchen's chat window, which displayed "Typing...", no message came for a long time. Fang Shuning could almost picture Song Jiuchen looking at his phone, completely at a loss.
On the other end of the phone, Song Jiuchen edited and revised the message. Having served as the village secretary for so many years and experienced countless big and small events, he still didn't know what to do when he encountered Fang Shuning.
After deleting and revising for a long time, I replied, "No need to go to so much trouble, I'll just send it to you directly."
Okay, thank you so much, Secretary Song!
For some reason, even though he was typing, Song Jiuchen seemed to hear Fang Shuning calling "Secretary Song~" in his ear, as if an electric current was passing through him, making him feel numb.
Fang Shuning decided to return to Xitang, but not now; it would be about a week from now. The court had organized a pre-trial mediation for Uncle Zhang's case. Fang Shuning's goal was to help Uncle Zhang receive his compensation as quickly as possible, and pre-trial mediation was the most efficient and convenient method. She needed to handle one pre-trial mediation and one legal contract renewal within the next week before she could return home with peace of mind.
The following week, Fang Shuning was very busy, and Fu Yuanzheng was busy too. He couldn't help with anything else, so he acted as a driver and ran errands. He was arrogant, but he did his job well. This made Fang Shuning have a different opinion of Fu Yuanzheng.
But what truly changed Fang Shuning's opinion of Fu Yuanzheng was the pre-trial mediation of Uncle Zhang's case.
Throughout the entire process, Fu Yuanzheng remained quiet with a tense expression.
Fang Shuning knew she would definitely help Uncle Zhang get the money; it was just a matter of time and how much. So, she took a different approach, reporting the safety hazards of the construction site equipment to the relevant authorities. The project was forced to stop. In a construction site like that, every day of downtime wasted money, especially since the schedule had to be met. The site leaders tried everything, pulling strings and giving gifts, but eventually discovered the problem stemmed from Fang Shuning.
For this reason, he even threatened Fang Shuning privately. Fang Shuning was not without fear, but she always believed that in a society governed by the rule of law, the other party wouldn't dare to go too far. After all, her demands were simple: just pay the compensation that was due.
Ultimately, through pre-litigation mediation, the other party paid all the compensation in a lump sum.
Upon receiving the compensation from the other party, the person in charge remarked sarcastically, "Congratulations, Attorney Fang, you've made quite a bit of money on this case."
Judging by appearance alone, Fang Shuning seems thin and frail, but once she speaks, her tone is resolute and powerful. She says that migrant workers are an indispensable group in China's urbanization process. They support urban development with their hard work, yet often face harsh living conditions and numerous unfair treatments. Steel under the scorching sun, bricks in the cold wind—every high-rise bears their fingerprints, but their names are unknown. They can carry cement and steel, but not the weight of life; they can build towering skyscrapers, but cannot afford a decent home. They migrate like birds, going wherever there is work, yet never finding their own nest. The city lights are dazzling, but none are lit for them; the roar of construction machines cannot drown out their sighs of homesickness.
They do the hardest work for the meager wages, and still worry about whether they'll receive their hard-earned money at the end of the year. Their sweat can irrigate the entire city, but it can't even nourish the few acres of barren land in their hometown. They dare not speak up when injured, for fear of losing their jobs; they dare not complain when owed wages, for fear of not getting paid.
The law is far removed from them, but the boss's expression is very close.
The children grow up in their hometown, while the parents grow old there, and all they can say on the phone is, "I'll be back for the New Year."
You need their strength, but you're unwilling to give them a status; construction sites can't do without their hands, but you can't give them dignity.
Whether I make a fortune or not, it's none of your business, because at least for now, I stand firmly by their side, protecting their legal rights.
On the way back, Fu Yuanzheng was unusually quiet, which Fang Shuning found a little unusual. She thought he had been frightened by him and asked him a question.
Fu Yuanzheng didn't respond to Fang Shuning's concern. Instead, he asked, "Sister Shuning, do you think I can become a good lawyer?"
Fang Shuning couldn't answer that question, because she wasn't even sure if she was a good lawyer. She didn't know how to define a good lawyer.
Most of the time, Fang Shuning felt more like a profit-driven businesswoman. She wanted to maximize her profits, win lawsuits, and make money. She would even stand from the capitalist's perspective, fighting for that little bit of money that was insignificant to them but essential for ordinary people's survival.
Thinking about it carefully, Fang Shuning isn't exactly a good lawyer. But she can't be easily labeled as bad either. The opposite of good is never just bad. Human beings are just that contradictory and complex.
Fang Shuning couldn't help but think of Song Jiuchen again. If it weren't for him, she would never have taken Uncle Zhang's case. Even when she helped him connect with Cui Sitong, she had ulterior motives. Cui Sitong would benefit, and Fang Shuning's share of the profits would increase considerably.
Fang Shuning always had ulterior motives, so what about Song Jiuchen? What was he after?
The contract renewal went smoothly, and they received another generous share of the profits. The plan to assign Fang Shuning an intern lawyer was put on hold because of Fu Yuanzheng; without an intern lawyer, they weren't busy.
Fang Shuning packed up and returned to Xitang.
However, Fu Yuanzheng stubbornly insisted on coming along.
No, why are you following Fang Shuning home?
Fu Yuanzheng didn't care; his father had told him to go with her anyway.
Fu Yuanzheng brought up Fu Zhou, and Fang Shuning was completely speechless. She had no choice but to bring this "burden" along.
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